September 13, 2015 at 04:41 UT

Refinement, Correction, Accuracy – Power Shifts and Balancing Acts of Priorities

A new Lunar month begins in the sign of Virgo, with a certain specialness and dynamism to it as it is also a Partial Solar Eclipse. We are currently into the second eclipse season of this year, containing a Solar Eclipse and a Lunar Eclipse both occurring in the month of September. Solar Eclipses are highly charged New Moons. They carry a much larger cosmic energy since they are cyclical and repeat every 18 years and 11 days.

As every New Moon signifies a new focus and intention, when it is an Eclipse, this new focus becomes intense and potentially holds much more significant and longer lasting effects, that may not be as obvious or apparent at this moment.  As an earth sign, Virgo is of the quality of earth that can be cultivated. Something is in preparation and whether we are conscious of it or not, it needs to focus on workable ground. Virgo is the earth that with proper attendance, work and care can bear “fruit” and produce results that have a usefulness and sense of purpose that gratifies the more refined, pure, gentle and kind parts of our sense of self-worth. Whatever is starting in life right at this lunar cycle can activate feelings of humility, an urge to provide for something or someone, or just work on improving and perfecting, a romance, a creation, a renewed sense of values, or relationships, that have been processed in the previous month. Anything that already exists or was initiated in the previous cycle, will now be tested in its more practical side, in its application, workability or capacity to be integrated in a more regular and useful pattern.  This lunar month may  even just give the necessary insight into discerning the finer details that exist in the seams of disconnected bits of data or seemingly scattered thoughts, activities and feelings. It is a time for ordering, prioritizing, organising and fine tuning on the levels of “health” and practicality of any situation. A time we may seek or demand mental and emotional accuracy. A time when the antennas of our emotional critical faculties are working at their highest operational mode and sensitivity. Virgo is about purification and refinement, but it can also get stuck on the details or extreme criticism and miss the whole picture. This may externalise as excessive worry, stress, too much work, or in a more positive scenario, an especially acute detailed oriented thinking and productivity that can lay the ground for future harvest.

The opportunity to correct or improve situations will present itself.

The New Moon phase lasts about 4 days, until September 17, and within this period of time the intention of the new cycle comes into focus. The presence of the shadowing effect of the Eclipse may trigger uncertainty or fear of treading into some unknown territory, field of endeavour, such as doing something for the first time or a rather dynamic emotional push to engage with a situation that requires careful handling.

Lunar month and Solar Eclipse Key themes and subtext:

September 13-17, New Moon phase

The Moon is coming into this new cycle separating from an opposition with Chiron in Pisces, and a waxing quincunx with Uranus in Aries. This may potentially indicate some emotionally disruptive or liberating influence that we need to adjust to, that may have been wounding and/or healing in some way. Domestic patterns, habitual zones need to also re-adjust and work on their provisional efficiency. It is a focus on improvement and healing. Moon will trine asteroid Ceres in Capricorn a few hours after its meeting with the Sun, surfacing a harmonious connection with more earthy and material concerns to do with a need to provide for or make shifts in structures (in business or in our personal sphere). We may have parted with someone, we may just be focusing on duties. Parenthood is prominent with Ceres, as it indicates a heightened responsibility to cater and provide for our children, becoming the “Super Mum” or “Dad”. Alternatively it speaks of the “parenthood” within corporations, organisations and businesses, even governments which may experience a kind of shifting in power dynamics in order to function more effectively. Moon will then conjoin asteroid Juno in Virgo which filters emotional needs through the lens of seeking and expecting effectiveness in a partner. This adds a theme of working on or with a relationship in a practical way; it can manifest as criticism in partnerships or focus on recognising the need to resolve practical problems and tasks. Juno can also raise trust issues within relationships. On an emotional level we may be pondering on what it is that makes a relationship, the “right” one for us.

The last aspect the Moon makes before it leaves the sign of Virgo, is a sextile to Saturn in the last degree of Scorpio, which highlights an opportunity to make a serious commitment on a past issue or long term goal. The New Moon chart suggests that all energy is seeking grounding, improvement and will be productively oriented through relationships, contacts and partnerships. These are the aspects that are mapping out the field of intention for the month that follows and will continue to unfold due to the Solar Eclipse influence for the next 3 months.

Predominant elements: Earth/Fire

The chart of the New Moon has four planets in Earth signs, three in Fire signs and the dispositor of Virgo (Mercury) the only one in an Air sign. What Fire creates Earth materialises, so there is an emphasis on working, producing and correcting what has been previously created, and recognising its usefulness. We can expect a lot of our attention to be on details and problems that need resolving, combined with a very charged energy field on the mental level which may lead to worrying, self-criticism, overcomplicating issues or fits of indecision, if we have to deal with too many tasks and responsibilities. Blockages due to such factors can trigger psychosomatic symptoms and health concerns. It is especially important to look after our eating patterns and habits, as Virgo rules digestion and devote time to  organise a healthier and more simplified daily schedule that we feel we can keep up to. We need to be efficient in setting boundaries and priorities, and try to regularise all daily routines and patterns. It will prove very soothing and effective to clear and clean our domestic sphere and field of vision of clutter and unnecessary or worn out things, or just even re-organise our space of activity.

The ruler of this New moon is Mercury -the cosmic decision maker, currently in Libra and in its shadow period, indicating there is a lot of negotiating and communicating involving relationships, partnerships, deals and collaborations. Mercury will turn retrograde on September 17, so we can expect plenty of going back and forth on these areas and issues that presented themselves since August 27 (beginning of shadow period), until it goes direct on October 09 and finally leaves the shadow in direct motion on October 24. In this context, decisions are more likely to be finalised after October 09. During it retrograde motion it will travel through the first half of the sign of Libra (15-00 degrees) so it will give a chance to re-think, balance information, and re-negotiate. Mercury in this position gives mental objectivity, and adds diplomatic virtue to communications of all kinds, and promotes fairness in judgement. Things regarding communication or mental processing can feel indecisive until the stage of evaluating viewpoints is over, yet in attempting to do just that we may come up with ways to reconcile opposing forces or views.

As the planetary energy is shifting on many levels a sense of intense transition may be felt quite strongly until the Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse on September 28 brings issues to a culminating point. During these first two weeks while the Moon is gaining light, Mercury will turn retrograde on September 17, so what we think now is likely to be re-negotiated later. Saturn will enter Sagittarius on September 18, so goals and career matters will find new ground to expand, Pluto will turn direct at 13 degrees Capricorn and Mars will enter Virgo on September 25 signifying a quite powerful move forward and outward on the mundane and collective level of experience. We may experience very dynamic power shifts at a collective level this Fall.

It is critically important not to promise more than we can deliver or speculate at this point, as Jupiter’s opposition with Neptune (Virgo/Pisces) perfects on September 17, and will be active most of the month. This is not a time to fantasise, idealise or expect too much, but rather a time to focus on what is realistic and manageable. The humbler and the more practical and service oriented our goals are, the more likely they are to reward us with balance and expansive potential later.

The energy of this Lunar cycle and Solar Eclipse may feel more personal to you:

If you are a Virgo born between September 10-16, a Pisces born between March 07-13, a Sagittarius born between December 10-16, and a Gemini born between June 08-14. If you have a Virgo, Pisces, Sagittarius, Gemini Ascendant at 20 degrees (+/- 2), and/or have any placements of personal planets at 20  degrees Virgo, in your natal chart. If you have planets or points at 00 or 15 degrees or within that range in Libra, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, the Mercury retrograde period will also be significant for you, as it is tightly connected to this New Moon and the upcoming Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse at 04 degrees Aries. 

Some tidbits on Solar Eclipses:

• This is a Partial Solar Eclipse which belongs to the Saros Series (Jansky/Brady) 18 North.

• It will only be visible in Antarctica and parts of South Africa. For more info: http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/dates-of-next-lunar-and-solar-eclipses#2015

• Eclipses have a periodicity and repeat in cycles every 18 years and 11 days, so if this Eclipse makes contact to sensitive points in your natal chart, the Sun, Moon, other personal planet or angles (ASC/DSC/MC/IC) as noted above, think back in 1997 to unlock any potential message or themes that may be developmentally relevant to issues that may arise for you now.

• The astronomy of the phenomenon suggests that the blocking of the Sun’s light by the Moon carries a more dynamic effect or power, so it is collectively significant due to its repetitive cyclical nature relevant to the family of eclipses it belongs to and speaks of an energy theme that is carried through time. The meaning of this particular cycle of eclipses according to astrologer Bernadette Brady paraphrased, speaks of an energy with high stress levels, that may be taxing on the strength; and has a tone of physical concern as well as worry or excessive thinking.

• On an individual level if we were to study the effects of an eclipse in a natal chart, we will have to take into account other contributing factors such as Transits, Progressions and other techniques, in order to define themes and conclude on potential manifestations. The Conjunctions and Oppositions to the Sun, Moon and the angles (+/-1 degree) are generally considered the most significant.

• In electional astrology eclipse dates are avoided as unfavourable times to plan events. The shadow effect may be interpreted as an indicator that some other event or something we cannot “see” may block the way of what we have originally intended or decided to do.

 

• Opinions on how long the effect of a Solar Eclipse can last vary from 3 months up to a year.

 

• Significant eclipse degree trigger dates to watch:

September 20, 2015 – Eclipse date

October 28-29, 2015 – Mars at 20 degrees Virgo

December 19, 2015 – Sun at 26 degrees Sagittarius Squaring the Moon’s Nodes (Moon Wobble)

References:

Brady, B. 1992:  The Eagle and the Lark, Weisser Books, San Francisco, CA/Newburyport, MA

© Eleni Kostika 2015